(Radio Iowa) – Former Vice President Mike Pence says the potential arrest of former President Donald Trump is politically motivated and Pence says that’s deeply troubling. Pence spoke with reporters in Iowa shortly after Trump announced he expected to be arrested Tuesday in connection with a New York grand jury probe.

Trump, in a post on his social media platform, called for protests. Pence says he respects the right of every American to speak their mind about the situation.

Pence was in Des Moines Saturday for a discussion about foreign policy that was hosted by Senator Joni Ernst. Pence says America isn’t the world’s policeman, but, as the leader of the free world, the U.S. must support Ukraine to ensure peace in eastern Europe.

Pence’s remarks are in contrast to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a likely 2024 presidential candidate, who recently said the war is a territorial dispute and Ukraine is not of vital national interest to the United States.

Pence said “…I know some people say we can’t take care of getting our economy moving again, securing our border, taking care of things here at home and doing that, but that’s a pretty small view of the greatest nation on earth. We can do both.” Pence told reporters he’ll be making a decision about whether to launch a presidential campaign of his own this spring. He told the audience at the event Iowa’s Caucuses will again play an outsized role in shaping the nation’s destiny.

Pence, who served in the U.S. House for a dozen years, was Indiana’s governor when Trump chose him as his running mate in 2016.